Furnace



(No Model.) v2-Sheets--Sheez 1.

A I'. H, RICHARDS.' f

PURNAGE.

' No. 510,550. ,Patented 13e-5.12, 1893.

(No Model.) ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. H. RICHARDS.

FURNAGE.

No. 510,550. Patented Deo. 12, 18,93.`

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@s C, 18, G 72 18 C ,M A i T/VJ'ZnESSES.' 'fm/Enzm'n' vanism; it is alsospecically in the nature of FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD,

PATENT Enron.

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ECKLEY B. COXE, OF DRIFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

- FU RNACE.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,550, dated December12,1893.

Application filed September 1,1893. Serial No. 484,557. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

13e it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hartford, 1n the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFurnaces, of whichA the following is a specification.

Thls invention relates to traveling-grate furnaces; the object being tolprovide an improved furnace of that class adapted for burnlng twogrades of fuelat the same time.

My present invention isin a general way 1n the nature of an improvementon the furnace described and claimed in Letters Patent No. 499,716,granted to Eckley B. Coxe, .I une 20, 1893, to which reference may behad fora more particular description than is contained herein of certaindetails of the furnace-mechan improvement on the furnace described andclaimed in the prior application of said Eckley B. Coxe, Serial No.479,998, filed July l0, 1893, to which I have permission to refer. Theprincipal object of my present invention 1s to provide means forsupplying the second (and usually lower) grade of fuel to the furnace inseparate streams to form narrow separate layers, which shall notinterfere so much with the proper combustion of the lower layer of fuel;also, to supply fresh 'air to' the combustion-chamber, and at the sametime protect the second f ucl-supply apparatus from the heat of thefurnace-gases. In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thisspecification, Figure l is a sectional plan view (on line a b c, Fig. 2)of a traveling grate furnace embodying my present improvements. Fig. 2is a sectional side elevation of the furnace. Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse section on line a b c, Fig. 2, showing the parts at theright-hand of said line as seen from a point at the left-hand thereof.Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the furnace as seenfrom the right-hand inFig. 3. In Figs. 2 and 3 the furnace is shown supplied with fuel as whenin operation.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures. A

For illustrating the application and mode of operation of my presentimprovements, I

have shown the same applied to the furnace which is described andclaimed in the aforesaid Letters Patent No. 499,716. This furnacecomprises a traveling grate and means for actuating the same, and hasits furnacechamber C, and also the grate-mechanism, inclosed by theusual side-walls 2 and 4, and

end-walls 3 and 5.

The endless-grate, designated in a general way by G, comprises the lowerand upper 6o runs, 9 and 10, respectively; said upper run constitutingthe furnace-Hoor under which is located the series of air-blast chambersa, b,

c, d, these being supplied by the air-pipes a', b', c', cl', through aconduit, ll/I, leading from 65 a blower, air-compressor or otherair-supply, not shown. The upper and lower runs, respectively, of theendless grate are shown supportedon guides, I8 and 18 and 19 and1'9,respectively. Foractuatingthe traveling- 7o grate G, this is showncarried by the chain- Wheels 12 and 14, which are supported on theshafts 13 and 15, respectively; and for revolving the one of the shaftsand thereby actuating the grate, said shaft 15, is shown furnished withthe worm-wheel 40, which meshes with a worm, 41,on a driving-shaft, 42,that is supported in bearings, 43, 43', and is driven bya'driving-pulley, 44, from some suitable source of power. Not shown.These several details 8o belonging to the invention described andclaimed in the aforesaid Letters Patent, a furtherdescription of thesame is deemed unnecessary. l v

For delivering the regular or first. supply of fuel to theendless-grate, the furnace is or may be provided with the supply-hopperII, whose mouth 0rdischarge-opening delivers the fuel directly onto thegrate, over an ignition-block, B, as illustrated in Fig.2. Imme- 9odiately rearward of said supply-hopperH, the furnacechamber C is showncovered with a roof or arch, designated by A, in which an opening ismade at 85, through which to supply the grate with an additionalquantity of fuel, usually of another and lower grade. From thefurnace-chamber C, the gases may be conducted through the iiue 2O to beused. As a means for regularly delivering the additional fuel-supply tothe furnace-chamber Ico through the aforesaid opening 85, afeed-apparatus is shown set over said opening, and

comprises a hopper, Il', suitably supported, and a feed-wheel orbucket-wheel, XV, set underneath said hopper in position for receivingthe fuel therefrom and delivering the same in a falling stream, 86, intothe furnacechamber, as fully illustrated in Fig. 2. For actuating saidfeed-wheel, the shaft S4 of said wheel is shown furnished with a pulleyor chain-wheel, 96, which is connected by a driving band or chain, 97,with a chain-wheel, 95, carried on a stud, 98, and geared with the shaft15. By making the wheels 95 and 96 of proper relative dimensions, anyrequired speed maybe imparted to said feed-wheel, for delivering to thefurnace any required proportion of the secondary fuel.

The operation of the furnace, except as to the secondary fuel-supply, issubstantially the same as illustrated and described in the aforesaidLetters Patent No. 499,716. The fuel in the hopper His delivereddirectly to the grate, on which it is spread in a layer, and during theregular operation of the furnace is ignited at a point adjacent to orover the first air blast chamber a, which chamber is, in practice,supplied with air at a moderate pressure. The air-blast chamber b isordinarily supplied with air at aconsiderably higher pressure, for thepurpose of increasing the combustion and raising the burning mass to ahigh temperature. During or immediately following the thorough ignitionof the layer 71,of fuel, the secondary supply of fuel is delivered tothe furnace-chamber, being deposited in a series of separated layers,72, `superimposed upon said lower layer 71. In practice, saidsecondarysupply is in tended to be of a relatively low grade, such, forinstance, as carbonaceous slates and minerals found in connection withveins of pure coal. The secondary fuel being delivered into the hotfurnace-chamber upon a bed of fuel already brought to a high state ofcombustion, the carbon is rapidly distilled therefrom and mingled withthe furnacegases, to be consumed in the rearward portions of thefurnace-chamber; the refuse inineral being finally carried off with theashes and cinder from the higher grade of fuel forming the first layerupon the furnace-floor.

It will be remembered that in the furnace herein shown, when operated asdescribed in the aforesaid Patent, No. 499,716, the airpressures in thechambers c and d will (usually) be normally less than in the air-blastchamber b; but in the present instance, owing to the increased quantityof fuel beyond the point where the secondary supply is delivered to thegrate, the air-pressure will, in some cases, be somewhat increased inone or more of said chambers, for forcing the coinbustion of thecombined primary and secondary layers of fuel. In this connection itwill be understood that the number and width of the successive air-blastchambers will be regulated according to the duty required of thefurnace.

According to my present improvements, the

Vpassage-way S5 in the furnace-roof through which the second fuel-supplyis delivered to the furnace-chamber C is set inclined, preferably asshown in Fig. 2, and the upper surface at the forward side of saidopening is furnished with a series of guides, 87, which, when the fuelis delivered upon them, .as from the feed-wheel WV, as illustratedinFig. 2, divide it into separate streams, 86, Fig. 3, which, by passingdown said guides are separated and, descending upon the lower layer 71of fuel upon the traveling grate, form a series of narrow layers 72separated from each other so as not to interfere so much with thecombustion of said lower and principal layer received by the "grate fromthe first fuel-supply apparatus, which, in the present instance, is theaforesaid hopper I-I.

By delivering the second fuel-supply to the grate in relatively narrowlayers, spaces, S8, between said layers are provided for the escape ofthe gases from the lower layer. By this means the combustion of thelower layer may be more rapid, and the second fuel-supply is subjectedat the edges of said narrow layei's 72 to the action of the llameswithin the fur nace-chamber, and is thereby more effectivelydecarbonized, and the carbon thereof better utilized. For preventing thefurnace-gases from ascending through said roof-space 85, and to preventthe same from burning out and destroying the second fuel-supplyapparatus, also to furnish a moderate supply of freshair to mingle withthe gases of the furnacechamber and thereby promote the coinbustion ofthe saine, the chamber 45 of said fuelsupply apparatus H is closed, and1s supplied with an air-blast through some suitable pipe, as E, attachedthereto. Said supplemental air-supply being delivered through said pipeE to said closed chamber L.t5,passes at the side of said feed-wheel Wand downwardly through said roof passage-wages 1ndicated by the arrows,carrying with 1t any furnace-gases which may have descended into saidpassage-way. By this means, all o f the objects here specified arereadily attained, and the supplemental supply of air is delivered to thefurnace-chamber in a manner and at the point for securing the mosteffective combustion, especially when using for the first fuel-supply afuel of a bituminous or semi-bituminous character.

Having thus described my invention, I claiin- 1. In a furnace, thecombination with the fiirnace-chamber and its roof having an openingtherein, of a traveling grate and a fuelsupply therefor, means forsupplying aii` to the grate, a second fuel-supply in position fordelivering fuel to the grate through said roofopening at a point beyondthe normal ignition-line of the fuel first supplied, and fue1 guides setto divide the second fuel-supply into separated layers, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

2. In a furnace, the combination with the IOO IIO

first fuel-supply therefoig'of the second fuelsupply located above saidroof opening and r 5 comprising a chamber covering said opening,

a feed-Wheel Within said chamber for delivering the second supply offuel to the furnace, means for actuating the feed-wheel and thetravelinggrate, and an air-supply for said zo chamber, substantially asdescribed.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, JOHN L. EDWARDS, Jr.

